On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump harshly criticized Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, describing her as “unpleasant” after she criticized him during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral. Trump demanded a public apology, accusing her of politicizing a religious event.

On his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The so-called bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service is nothing more than a radical leftist and a Trump-hater. Her tone was disrespectful, and her arguments lacked intelligence and persuasion.”

During the service, Budde urged the president to show compassion toward immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community. Seated in the front row alongside First Lady Melania Trump, the president listened as the bishop criticized his administration’s recent policies, including the suspension of asylum applications, the expulsion of undocumented migrants, and a decree restricting gender recognition to male and female, excluding transgender individuals.

In response, Trump declared that the service was “boring and uninspiring” and reiterated his call for a public apology. “She and her church owe the American people an apology,” the president insisted.

Budde, a long-time critic of Trump, has been a prominent figure among progressive religious leaders opposing the Republican president, intensifying political and cultural divisions within the country.

Trump on U.S.-Latin America Relations

That same day, Trump addressed relations with Latin America during a meeting in the Oval Office. When asked by a Brazilian journalist about his views on ties between the U.S. and the region, the president asserted, “They need us far more than we need them. We don’t rely on them; they rely on us.”

Trump emphasized what he sees as the economic and political dependence of Latin American countries on the United States but also noted that relations “should be excellent” under his leadership.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva struck a more conciliatory tone, posting on social media his hopes that Trump’s administration would be successful, promoting “prosperity and well-being for the American people” while working toward “a fairer and more peaceful world.”

With these statements, Trump reinforces his firm stance on foreign policy while maintaining his characteristic confrontational style, which continues to define his second term as a period of tension and significant international challenges.